HONOR Pad X8a Unboxing and First Impressions

We look closer at the new HONOR Pad X8a with the Snapdragon 680, 11.1-inch IPS screen, quad speakers and an 8,300mAh battery.

HONOR Pad X8a with cover case

The HONOR Pad X8a is the brand's latest entry-level affordable tablet with entertainment-focused specs and features.

The new tablet comes with a large 1.1-inch TFT IPS display. Inside is the 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 680, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, and an 8,300mAh battery with 10W charging via USB-C.

At the back is the 5MP f/2.2 main camera while in front is the 5MP f/2.2 selfie camera.

Other features include quad speakers, Bluetooth 5.1, and WiFi. 

The tablet is priced at PHP 7,999 in the Philippines.

Let's take a look at it.

Unboxing/Accessories

HONOR Pad X8a's packaging

It comes in white packaging with the render of the tablet, HONOR branding, key specs and regulatory information.

Box inclusions

Inside the box are the tablet, the 10W charger, the USB-A to C cable, the SIM ejector, and documentation. 

Unfortunately, there are no earphones and no preinstalled screen protector.

Build Quality/Design

Rear design

From afar, the tablet looks more expensive than it actually is. Upon closer inspection, it is immediately apparent that the tablet is made of glass and a single metal enclosure. The metal enclosure has a brushed metal finish that gives that premium-like tactile feel while reducing the chance of fingerprint smudges and accidental slippage.

Premium brushed metal finish on a budget tablet

The sides are flat but curved at the corners which gives the tablet a refined look while dramatically reducing sharp edges that result in making the tablet easier and more comfortable to hold.

It measures 257 x 168 x 7.3 mm and weighs 495 grams. There is no IP rating nor are there rubber gaskets on the SIM tray.

HONOR Pad X8a's screen

In front is the aforementioned 11.1-inch TFT LCD screen with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution. The bezels around the panel are around half an inch which is just the right amount of space where the user's fingers can rest while holding the tablet without covering the display panel itself.

On the longer bezel is the 5MP selfie camera.

Top and bottom

On top are the volume rocker, power button, microphone and SIM tray while the bottom is a smooth surface.

SIM tray

The SIM tray accommodates a microSD card. There is no rubber gasket.

Left and right sides

On the left are the first pair of speakers while on the right are the second pair of speakers and the USB-C port.

Rear camera

The back has the 50MP f/2.2 main camera without an LED flash. It has the AI camera branding.

The included modes of the stock camera app include Photo, Video, Portrait, Scan Document, HDR Photo, Time-lapse, and Watermark.

The Portrait Mode features 10 levels of Beautifcations.

Powering the tablet is the 8,300mAh battery with 10W charging via USB. 

Alongside the 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 octa-core 4G processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB  storage.

The tablet comes with quad speakers too.

HONOR Pad X8a with cover case

There is an origami-style cover case that protects the screen and can be folded into a stand.

HONOR Pad X8a Specs

Display: 11.1-inch TFT LCD (IPS) screen w/ FHD 1920 x 1200 resolution at 249 ppi

CPU: 2.4GHz 6nm Snapdragon 680 octa-core processor

GPU: Adreno 610

RAM: 4GB

ROM: 128GB

Back Camera: 5MP f/2.2 w/ AF

Selfie Camera: 5MP f/2.2

Battery: 8,300mAh 

OS: Android 14 w/ MagicOS 8.0

Connectivity: WiFia/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz, 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.1

Sensors: Accelerometer, light

Others: 4x speakers, 1x microphone, USB-C, Colors: Space Gray

Dimensions: 257 x 168.5 x 7.3 mm

Weight: 495 g

Price: PHP 7,999

Quick thoughts

HONOR Pad X8a portrait web surfing

At PHP 7,999, the HONOR Pad X8a comes with a large 11.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 IPS screen, quad speakers, and a large 8,300mAh battery which makes it good for media consumption and even office productivity.

To keep the price down, HONOR made compromises with only 4GB RAM, a single microphone, and 10W charging. At its price, these are somewhat acceptable but could be better.

We will have to do more testing to see how it performs in the real world.

Stay tuned for the full review soon.

What do you guys think?